Tomorrow
by just a bit foxy
Summary: He wanted to concentrate on the here and now.


After their kiss, Lyle had been hard pressed not to pay attention to Anew. When Sumeragi called them all to the bridge to get a report on repairs, his eyes always strayed to her. She looked like she didn't notice, but every now and then, a small smile would creep against her lips. He would have to stop himself from grinning like an idiot and often, he couldn't do it, so the others would be looking at him like there was something seriously wrong with him.

On this particular day, Sumeragi crossed her arms and shook her head slightly. "Do I say things strangely?" she asked.

Lyle shook his head. "No, it's - don't worry about it." he answered rapidly.

Tieria raised his eyebrows, looking at Setsuna and Allelujah. They shrugged and Lyle could see the amusement in Anew's eyes. She wasn't going to say anything to make him look like less of a freak, but he didn't mind. He liked the way her eyes lit up and lips curved when she was amused. She seemed even more beautiful then.

"I think it's possible you've been inside too long." Sumeragi said. "Go and enjoy fresh air. Have a smoke."

He snickered. "I'll do that." he replied.

Tieria's face still told him that he had problems and that made him snicker more. The purple-haired Meister shook his head slightly. Lyle could almost hear him thinking, but didn't stand around thinking about it.

"Ms Sumeragi, do you mind if I keep Lyle company?" Anew asked, clasping her hands in front of her. "I'm done my repairs for today."

"Of course." Sumeragi smiled. "Maybe you can keep him from going crazy."

"We'll see."

"Good luck with that, Anew." Tieria commented.

She laughed. "I think I'll manage." she said, walking out.

Lyle followed her and they left the Ptolemy in silence. Anew didn't say anything, though, even as they got outside. She kept walking, but he didn't hesitate to follow her. The need for distance away from the others made him curious.

She stopped at the crest of a hill ten minutes later where they could still see the Ptolemy. The sun was sinking below the horizon, dying everything in pinks and purples. In places, there were bands of gold and the lake to the right of them sparkled like liquid sapphires. It was like something out of a romance novel that always showed beautiful women swooning in the arms of handsome muscle men on the cover.

Anew stood with her back to him, looking in the direction of the lake. He wondered what she was thinking until she turned back to him. It took her seemingly no time to close the space between them and kiss him. He stumbled back a little, but she put a hand to his back, steadying him with surprisingly substantial strength.

When they broke apart, he gazed at her wonderingly and she laughed, putting a hand to his cheek. "You're cute," she informed him.

"No," he disagreed, "you are."

"Mm-mn."

"You can't disagree with that if you own a mirror, Anew."

She blinked, blushing. "Lyle ..." she trailed off.

"From the minute I saw you, I thought you were cute."

Anew looked away, appearing overwhelmed though Lyle knew there were other things he could say to overwhelm her. Never in his life had he been blown away by a first impression. She was beautiful, but she was also smart. She wasn't vapid. She had substance. Maybe he clung to her because she was the only one who wouldn't compare him to Neil, but now that wasn't the case.

"Anew, I ..." He stopped himself there, unsure what to say.

"Yes?" Anew was looking at him now, cheeks still stained with red.

"You've really made all of this easier."

"How?"

He shrugged, taking his turn to look away.

"You've made things easier for me, too." Anew admitted softly. "Everyone was nice to me at L3, Ian and Linda especially, but you're the first person I feel I'm able to understand."

He looked back at her.

"That's what people need to do." Her eyes were luminuous. "That's what would stop war."

"You think so?"

She nodded. "Most of the world's conflicts are built from misunderstandings and fear because people don't understand. A-Laws was born because of misinterpretion of Celestial Being, after all."

"Huh ..." Lyle ran his fingers through her hair. "You know, you might be too smart for me."

"I don't think so."

"You just don't know me well enough yet."

Anew kissed him once. "You're more intelligent than you think you are, Lyle." she whispered.

He smiled slightly, watching her fingers travel up and down his arm. He knew they were moving faster than they should be, especially given the circumstances. He wondered if that was why they were moving so fast. There was attraction, physical and otherwise. He'd never thought about the possible death hanging in the air before.

"I'm not sure if I understand you." He told her, pulling her flush against him.

"You will. Relationships need understanding." Her hands slid over his shoulders. "I can guarantee it."

Lyle didn't know what to say. The way she spoke was unnerving sometimes, like she knew more than she let on. His mind travelled to the black-outs she told him about, but he chased those thoughts away. He wanted to concentrate on the here and now. He could be gone tomorrow.

_'And so could she.'_


End file.
